


Saving Miles Hollingsworth

by poeticgrace



Category: Degrassi, Degrassi the Next Generation, Degrassi: Next Class
Genre: Boys In Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:00:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23518837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poeticgrace/pseuds/poeticgrace
Summary: When Tristan learns the truth about what goes on at the Hollingsworth mansion, he makes it his mission to protect his boyfriend at all costs.
Relationships: Miles Hollingsworth III & Tristan Milligan, Miles Hollingsworth III/Tristan Milligan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

It started with a thunderstorm. Or maybe it started in Paris. Either way, it started because Miles was classically handsome and Tristan was different than any guy he’d ever met and they’d shared this undeniable thing known as chemistry.

It was supposed to be a secret. That and honesty were really the only two things Tristan had asked of Miles since they had kissed in the middle of one of the biggest storms to hit Toronto in decades. Miles was still trying to figure out how he felt about everything, and so far, he had only come up with “a good weird” and a few other cocky comments he had thrown his family’s way. The truth was that he liked Tristan a lot but he wasn’t sure how much he liked himself at the moment and that made it pretty hard to commit to much of anything.

And it’s that confusion, mixed with his overwhelming need to rebel toward his father, that had made him say too much to the reporter. He knew that his family would be angry with him, and his mother and siblings had not disappointed him that morning before school. It was his dad, however, that had shocked him with an invitation to golf and permission to skip school. That’s why it hurt so much when the media had showed up to the country club. Like everything in his life, it had only been for show.

He also hadn’t been prepared for the hallway confrontation back at home. How could he be? It wasn’t the first time his father had hurled insults his way, but it was the first time that it had ever turned physical. It had shaken Miles to the very core, scared him enough that he actually preferred going to school over staying in the mansion with his father. Miles liked to think it had upset his dad too, but he knew that any guilt his father felt was likely either temporary or just concern about his precious campaign should Miles choose to go to the press again.

He made it to Degrassi in record time, moving through the hallways on autopilot with only one destination in mind. Miles knew that Tristan had likely seen the article by now, which meant that he had a lot of explaining to do. More than that, he just wanted to see his boyfriend. He felt safe with Tristan and knew that he could trust him with anything. What had happened at home had to stay a secret, but he really had planned on telling his boyfriend when he walked into the classroom. That is, until a protective Zoe and a surprisingly disappointed Winston stepped in his way.

“Hey, where’s Tristan?”

“Miles Hollingsworth, Little Boy Blue suddenly likes dudes,” Zoe teased with her signature bitchy smirk.

“Just one,” Miles confirmed. “Have you seen him?”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t want to see you after you outed your relationship in the newspaper,” she replied haughtily before holding up her phone for him to see. His father’s headshot stared back at Miles.

Winston’s voice illustrated exactly what he thought of his best friend’s latest stupid mistake. “Everyone’s teasing him.”

“What? Why?” The confusion was evident in his voice. He had never stopped to think about how this could possibly hurt Tristan. His only goal had been to hit his dad where it hurt — his campaign.

It was then and only then that Tristan emerged from the huddle of students standing behind Zoe and Winston. Miles couldn’t help but note how beautifully angry his boyfriend was as he threw himself off the stool and paced toward Miles. “Because everyone thinks you’re using me to piss off your dad,” he explained. His voice, as always, told Miles exactly how Tristan felt.

Tristan started to turn away as Miles stepped past Winston. He had to explain to Tristan, had to make him see, that he didn’t do this on purpose. He grabbed Tristan’s wrist tightly and pulled him back around. Tristan leaned in and whispered angrily into Mile’s ear. “You promised to keep our relationship a secret until we figured things out.”

“Tristan, just let me explain.”

“No, I don’t want to talk to you,” Tristan retorted, shaking his head fiercely.

“Please, just—”

“I thought you actually liked me.”

“I do like you.”

“No,” Tristan said softly, the heartache ringing in the single-syllable response. “You don’t. You manipulated me.”

Miles’ eyes widened at this. Everything was happening so fast, careening so quickly out of control. He started to rub his throat nervously. “No, no, I didn’t. Don’t say that.” His whole body shook as Tristan went back to his seat. Miles was still desperately pleading for his boyfriend to just listen when Zoe and Winston blocked his way, clearly dismissing him from the space.

Tristan pretended to be looking at his textbook as Miles stalked out of the classroom. The guilt set in instantly. Sure, Miles had messed up, but wasn’t it what he always did? When things got tough, Miles lashed out and then he ran away. And yet, something about this time felt different. It’s this gut instinct that has him throwing everything into his bag and rushing out of the classroom despite the critical looks from his best friend and harsh reprimand of his teacher.

He doesn’t have to go far to find Miles. He can see Zoe watching him worriedly as she prepares to go after him. Tristan put his hand on her forearm to stop her from following Miles. “I’ve got this,” he told her without bothering to wait for a reply. 

He fiound his boyfriend inside the empty classroom. “Miles, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I should have listened.”

“Tris,” Miles choked out as he whirled around and hurled himself into Tristan’s arms. It was probably the last thing the blonde expected, but like he always managed to do, he caught Miles just in time. 

Neither of them said a word for quite some time. The only sound in the room was Mile’s barely audible sobs as he hid his face in Tristan’s shoulder. It’s only when the sobs have subsided that Tristan leaned back to look into Mile’s green eyes. There are still tears sparkling there. “Miles, what happened? Like, I know we just got into it back there, but something tells me that this is about something way more. Did something happen with your dad?”

“Doesn’t something always happen with my dad?” he answered sarcastically, turning away and stepped out of Tristan’s embrace. Tristan could visibly see the moment that the walls went back up. 

“Nope, we’re not doing that this time,” Tristan said. “If you want me to forgive you for outing us to the newspaper, you’re going to tell me what is going on. I can deal with a lot, Miles, I will be on your side. But you have to let me be there for you. You have to let me in.”

Miles rubbed his hand over his face tiredly. “My dad and I got into it after we played golf this morning.”

“Okay…”

“My mom and the twins were on my case about the article, but my dad was weirdly forgiving. He wanted me to skip school so that we could go play golf together. I should have known something was up when he willingly wanted to spend time with me,” Miles realized. “We were actually having a decent time together until we went back to the clubhouse. It was then that all these reporters showed up and my dad spouted off some soliloquy about the LGBT community. And I just got so angry, Tris. He stood there and pretended that he was okay with who I am, who we are together.”

Tristan reached out and rubbed Miles’ forearm. “That must have been hard.”

“It felt…dirty. I felt used,” Miles admitted. “So I just took off and went back to the house. Of course, my dad followed me and started going off on another one of his lectures about what a fuck-up I am. And then, when we were in the hallway, I don’t know…”

His voice trailed off but Tristan could guess the rest. “Miles, did he hurt you?”

Miles knew that this was a make-it-or-break-it moment for his relationship with Tristan. He could do what he always did and pretend that he has it all together. Or he could tell Tristan the truth and actually let someone be on his side for once.

“He pushed me.”

Tristan felt his blood boil instantly. He stepped over to Miles, pulling at his shirt in search of bruises. “It wasn’t that bad; he just kind of slammed my back up against the wall. He seemed pretty shook up about it, but I bailed as quickly as I could and caught an Uber to school. I wanted to see you. I just thought — no, I _knew_ — that seeing you would make it all better.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Tristan murmured as he wrapped his arms around Miles. He turned his head slightly to press a gentle kiss to the taller boy’s temple. “I am so, so sorry that happened to you.”

“I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have told that reporter anything. It was so stupid.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Yes, it does,” Miles argued. “Don’t just let me off the hook because my dad…”

“Your dad hurt you,” Tristan finished for him. “I’m not letting you off the hook, Miles. I’m just letting it go because honestly, it doesn’t matter that much anymore. This — you and me — is what matters. You’re what matters. Making sure that you’re safe is what matters.”

Miles couldn’t help but smile a little at his sweet and protective boyfriend. “Thank you.”

“It’s done,” he assured him. “Look, why don’t we just ditch the rest of the day and hang out at my house? We’ll order a pizza for delivery and veg out on stupid comedies and empty calories. What do you say?”

“You sure? I could probably tough out the rest of the day.”

“Come on, cutie,” Tristan chuckled, grabbing his boyfriend by the wrist and out of the empty classroom. He knew that there was still more of this to deal with, but there would be time for that later. For now, he just wanted to comfort Miles and assure him that he could be somewhere safe for him. 

Miles slid his fingers easily from Tristan’s grasp until they were holding hands. He felt grounded suddenly. “Tris, I don’t want to go home tonight.”

“So you stay with me.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,” Tristan echoed. “I’m going to take care of you, Miles Hollingsworth. I am going to make sure that your father never hurts you again.”

“Tris, you can’t promise that.”

Tristan looked at the brunette defiantly. “Watch me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some dialogue from this chapter comes from Episode 1402, "Wise Up."


	2. Chapter 2

Miles had always realistically known that Tristan’s family wasn’t as well off as his — most families he knew weren’t — but walking into their cozy, middle-class house, he knew that the Milligans’ place far surpassed his family in something else even more important. While the Hollingsworth mansion was beautiful and filled to the brim with every trinket a kid could want, it never felt inviting. Tristan’s house was actually a home.

“I love this,” Miles murmured as he ran his fingers along the short, maple mantle above the older brick fireplace. It was lined with framed photographs of Miles and Owen at different points of their life. He could see Tristan in nearly every phase of his hair-color journey and Owen’s impressive transformation from toddler hockey to the NHL. “I don’t think my parents have any photos of us anywhere in the house. My mom says it’s tacky to put ourselves on display when my father has crafted such an impressive art collection.”

“Yeah, well,” Tristan replied, unsure if he should be proud or insulted. “My mom has always been ready with a camera. I think she has bought triplicates of every photo my brother and me have ever taken. It’s kind of embarrassing.”

“It’s kind of great,” Miles corrected him with a grin. He picked up a potential favorite photo of his — Tristan dressed as Jules for the play last year. “She’s been there for all the biggest moments of your life. My mom shows up when she can be bothered, and my dad only comes to things when he thinks it’ll get his photo in the paper.”

Tristan smiled apologetically. Miles deserved better than that. “I’ll come to all your stuff. My mom too,” he promised. “She can be overwhelming at times, but she has never made me feel like I wasn’t supported. Even when they’re fighting — which is, like, all the time sometimes — my parents have always been there for Owen and me.”

“Your parents fight a lot, huh?”

‘I mean, yeah,” he admitted. “It’s not even over anything specifically really. They’ve never cheated on each other, neither of them are addicts or anything. They just don’t really seem to like each other much. It gets annoying, but they’re determined to stick it out for some reason. I guess for me since Owen’s gone now.”

“That’s nice, that they care enough about you to want to try.”

“Most of the time, but there are times when I wish the fighting would stop and they’d just get a divorce. I only have one more year at home, and then I think they might finally pull the trigger. They really try to keep it from me most of the time, behind closed doors or whatever. But there’s only so much fighting you can hide in a house as small as this.”

“My house is huge, and you can still hear my dad yelling in every corner of the place.”

Tristan had forgotten for a moment what had brought them back to his house. “Do you want to talk about that?”

“Not right now, Tris, is that okay?”

“More than okay. I believe that I promised you pizza and a movie. What are you thinking?”

“I know that you like vegetarian, so that’s fine with me. Movie?”

“Whatever sounds good to you sounds to me. Maybe no rom coms,” Tristan suggested. “I’m thinking more along the lines of a hopelessly stupid comedy.”

“You call in the pizza, I’ll find something to watch,” Miles said. He looked suspiciously over at the small TV tucked into the far corner of the living room. He and his siblings were constantly fighting over the good TV. This one was smaller than one of the security monitors in his father’s office. “Uh, in here?”

Tristan looked up from his phone and shook his head. “The one in my room is bigger. O got it for me for Christmas with his signing bonus,” he answered. Miles hadn’t heard him talk about his brother all that much, but he could hear the pride in Tristan’s voice then. 

“Are you and Owen close?”

Tristan shrugged nonchalantly. “I guess. We’ve had our issues, but for the most part, we’ve surprisingly gotten along despite how different we are. He’s always been protective the way you want a big brother to be, you know? I guess it’s kind of the same for you and the twins.”

“Hunter and Frankie?” Miles laughed humorlessly. “The two of them think I’m a total fuck-up just like my dad does. They never take my side, even though they’ve heard him yell at me a million times. I guess I just put up with it because as long as he’s taking it out on me, he leaves the two of them alone. He thinks Frankie is pretty much his perfect little princess, and she doesn’t have any hesitation in playing the part. Hunter gets away with just staying silent because it doesn’t make any waves. He still sides with my dad for some reason.”

Tristan set his phone down on the arm of the sofa to reach out for Miles. “But you are protecting them,” he points out carefully. “You absorb all your dad’s anger so that they don’t have to, but I want you to remember something for me.”

“What’s that?”

“Two things actually. First, you shouldn’t be treated that way either. And secondly, you’re not alone in this anymore. I am always going to be on your side.”

Miles smiled widely at his boyfriend. “You’re pretty great, Tris.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he murmured before leaning in to press a promising kiss to Miles’ lips. 

Miles held him there in that moment a little longer, deepening the kiss with a little tongue and light groping. It felt so good to be here like this with him. He had never trusted anyone so wholeheartedly before. Zoë had never cared enough to ask any questions, and it had always felt like Maya was judging him. With Tristan, he just felt love, and even though they hadn’t said those words yet, he knew that the feelings were there.

“Alright, alright, alright,” Tristan exhaled deeply, grabbing Miles wrists loosely to stop his ministrations and put some much-needed space between them. “You go to my room and find a movie. I am going to order a pizza.”

“Trying to get me into bed, Milligan?”

A pretty blush spread over Tristan’s pale cheeks. “Maybe…”

“Tease!”

Tristan hummed in agreement before dismissing his boyfriend with a pointed look. Miles stared after him for a moment longer before heading down the short hallway in search of Tristan’s room. He knew that the first room wasn’t his by the numerous hockey and bikini model posters lining the walls. The next door was a bathroom and then a linen closet. Finally, at the end of the hallway, he knew it was Tristan’s domain instantly with the royal purple walls.

Miles ignored the TV in the corner in favor of looking around the bedroom. There were photographs everywhere, something Miles was sure his boyfriend had inherited from his mother. He carefully inspected snapshots of Tristan and Maya in Paris, Zoe and Tristan hanging out at the Dot, various groups at different Degrassi products and events, and a few of his boyfriend grinning with his brother at various places around Canada. He even spotted himself in a few from their days in France, though they weren’t together in any of them. 

He moved on to look at the desk. There were various gossip tabloids, fashion magazines, school reports, old ticket stubs, play programs and other papers neatly organized across the top along with the usual supplies. Miles loved that he could see Tristan in every square inch of the room. He finally made his way over to the bed. It was a full-sized mattress with a padded headboard that Tristan had likely redone himself with the crushed silver velvet. Miles sat down on the edge of the mattress and looked at his mostly bare nightstand. The bedside table held only a small lamp, a mostly empty glass of water, a somewhat dying fern and a single silver picture frame. He had just picked it up when Tristan came into the room.

“That’s the only photo I have of us. It’s my favorite.”

Miles smiled down at the old photograph. It was of the two of them after basketball practice one day, their faces smashed together to get them both into the shot. Miles could vaguely remember taking the selfie the day he’d found out that he had made the starting lineup.

“Well, I think it’s time we get you a new favorite. What do you say?”

Tristan smiled shyly. He was quite enjoying romantic Miles. “I’d like that.”

“Come here,” he ordered, opening his arms wide for Tristan. The blonde perched himself delicately on Miles’ knee and leaned his temple against Miles’. “Smile.” Miles took the photo and quickly glanced at the screen before deciding that he needed another. “One more.” When Tristan didn’t argue, he repositioned the screen to make sure that it would capture them both perfectly. At the last moment, Tristan turned to press his lips to Miles’ cheek, causing the boy to close his eyes with the most serene, content smile on his face. Miles handed over his phone for Tristan’s approval. “What do you think?”

Tristan slowly traced his finger down the side of the photo. “It’s perfect.”


	3. Chapter 3

A few hours later, after a stomach full of pizza and two mindless comedies, Miles found himself laying next to Tristan on the blonde’s bed. They had been quiet since the credits had started to roll on the old Adam Sandler movie. He could tell by the shadows casting their way across Tristan’s bedroom that the sun was decidedly lower in the sky than when they had first arrived at the house. This meant that school was likely out by now and his family would be expecting him home anytime.

“I should probably get going soon.”

“Hmm?” Tristan murmured as he turned on his right side to peer up at Miles. He slid his hands across his boyfriend’s muscular chest until they found purchase over his heart. “You don’t have to go. My mom won’t care if you hang out here. She makes a pretty good casserole if you’ll stay for dinner. I’ll even let you have my bread. I’ve already had too many carbs today.”

Miles reached out to cup his boyfriend’s cheek. “You look amazing.”

Tristan only blushed at the compliment before pushing forward in his crusade to get his boyfriend to stay at his house. “Seriously, Miles, I want you to stay here tonight.”

“I’m not sure that’s a great idea, Tris.”

“Why?”

Miles felt suddenly so ashamed. It wasn’t easy to admit that his father hated him, that he was mean sometimes just for the sake of it and that maybe that wasn’t just him being cruel — it was him being abusive. He had never put that word to it before, but now that Tristan was clued into what went on at the Hollingsworth mansion, Miles knew that he couldn’t hide behind the justifications anymore.

“It just makes him madder.”

“Oh, babe,” Tristan whispered. He leaned up to cover most of Miles’ body with his own, effectively grounding him as he wrapped his arm’s around Miles’ sturdy frame. “I can’t let you go back there knowing that next time might be worse.”

“I can take care of myself, Tris, he just caught me off guard.”

Tristan shook his head firmly. “No, you are not going to put your hands on him because that just gives him reason to justify what he is doing or to hit you even harder. I know you don’t want to do it, but maybe we should tell someone.”

“Who is going to believe me over my dad?” Miles asked. Tristan gave him a pointed look as he played with the top button on Miles’ shirt. “I mean, besides you. My dad is likely going to be the next mayor of Toronto. Not even my own mom takes my side! Everyone knows that I fuck up all the time, Tris. They’ll just think I’m making this up.”

“My mom will believe you,” Tristan told him confidently. “My dad will too. They will help us. I know that they don’t have power like your dad, but they can help us go to the authorities so that this never happens again. You shouldn’t be scared to go home.”

“I’m just being a baby,” Miles reasoned dismissively. “I probably blew this out of proportion. It didn’t even hurt that much.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Miles Hollingsworth,” Tristan demanded quietly. His voice was fierce but soft. He leaned back on his haunches before pulling Miles up by the shoulder. He then slid his cool hands beneath the material of Miles’ shirt until he reached his shoulder blades. His fingers were nimble across Miles’ warm skin until he found the spot he was looking for. Tristan held Miles’ gaze as he pressed down gently on where the bruises were, causing the brunette to visibly wince. “I repeat, you shouldn’t be scared to go home.”

“It’s not just that either. I’m afraid he will find some way to take this out on you.”

“On me? What could I possibly have that your father wants to go after?”

“You’d be surprised,” Miles responded. “He’d find a way.”

Tristan helped Miles lay back down on his side again before cozying up to his back like the big spoon that he rarely was. He slid his arms around Miles from behind, crossing them over his chest to hold him tightly. He felt Miles relax into the embrace in a way that he really hadn’t all day.

“Do you like me?” Tristan asked.

“Of course, baby.”

The butterflies in Tristan’s stomach fluttered every time Miles used that nickname for him. “Do you want to be with me?”

“More than anything.”

“Do you see a future for us?”

“Absolutely,” Miles answered, surprising even himself at how fast the confident reply came.

“Then I need for you to let me do this for you,” he explained. “You can decide how we do it, but we have to do something. We can talk to your mom first — together so that he knows that we’re not going to stay silent about this. She needs to understand how serious you are about making sure that this never happens again to you or to the twins.”

“She won’t listen, Tris.”

“So we will make her listen. And if she doesn’t, at least you can know that you gave her the chance to do the right thing,” Tristan countered. “We can talk to the twins, too. I don’t have to be there for that one if you’d rather do it alone.”

“I think I need to talk to Frankie and Hunter on my own. They’re going to be pissed at me if I go through with this.”

Tristan reached for Miles’ hand and laced their fingers. “They love you, Miles, they will want you to be safe. If they know he hurt you, I think they might feel differently about things.”

“Maybe…”

“After you’ve talked to them, we can figure out what happens next. If your mom isn’t helpful, we can talk to my parents about contacting someone to get you out of there. Maybe you can stay with us or with Winston’s family. Either way, I don’t want you there with him. I can’t risk him hurting you even more next time.”

Miles was terrified at the thought of telling anyone about this, but the tiniest part of him knew that Tristan was right. His father could do something worse next time. He could actually hit Miles or even one of the twins. He wasn’t just trying to protect himself here; he really did want to look out for his family. So did Tristan and that meant everything to him.

“I’ll call my mom and see if we can talk tomorrow. I think I still need a little more time. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Tristan assured him. “And in the mean time, you can sleep over.”

“You’re just not going to let that one go, are you?”

“Turn down the chance to have a ‘God Among Men’ in my bed? Miles, that is basically my fantasy come to life. Don’t you know by now that you’re my dream-come-true?”

Every time Tristan told him things like that, Miles couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. He’d never had someone who liked him so openly, so freely and without inhibition, before. Tristan let him know that he was adored and cared for every chance that he got. 

“You’re amazing, baby.” Miles cupped the back of Tristan’s head before meeting his lips for a long kiss. “I am so glad you kissed me in that thunderstorm.”

“You’re mine,” Tristan promised. “I’m yours. We belong to each other now, and what happens to you, happens to me. I am going to take care of you, Miles, we will get through this.”

“For the first time in my entire life, I actually believe that.”

“Don’t get scared and push me away. I know at some point that your instincts will kick in and you will want to run. Just when that happens, I need you to run to me, alright?”

Miles sighed. “I can’t promise you that, Tris, but I can promise that I will try.”

“That’s fair,” Tristan allowed. “But try hard, okay?”

“Now that I can promise.”

“What else can you promise?”

Miles laughed before rolling over so that Tristan was beneath him. “I can promise that you’re about to get kissed really, really well.”

“Oh, yeah?”

Miles bit his bottom lip and grinned devilishly. “Ohhh, yeah.”


	4. Chapter 4

Miles should have been surprised to find a pair of brand-new Mustangs waiting in the driveway when he came home from Tristan’s house the next morning, but buying his children’s love had always been his father’s M.O. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the ostentatious gesture. While he was happy to have the convertibles at his disposal, it was annoying that his father could believe that he’d be boughten so easily.

His mother was standing outside by the pool when he made his way through the back gate.

“What happened at the golf course?”

Miles looked at her in disbelief. Of course she automatically assumed that he was the problem. “What always happens? We fought.”

“Well, he said you made a scene in front of the press,” she said, the disappointment present as ever in her voice. “At the very least, you need to apologize to your father.”

His father appeared in the doorway. “No, he doesn’t.”

“We have to deal with this situation, dear.”

Miles’ father came down the stairs and toward them. He wrapped his hand firmly around Miles’ upper arm, causing his son to recoil slightly. “The stress of this campaign is really taking its toll. We need to find a way to start fresh. Can you find a way to do that, Miles?”

Miles hated his father but knew that this wasn’t the time to strike. He needed to get his mother alone first, to tell her in a place where his father couldn’t lie or make up excuses. For now, he listened to Tristan’s voice inside his head, telling him to breathe. He would be with him soon.  
“I don’t know,” he bit out finally.

“Okay, okay, easier question then — black or silver?”

While a part of him wanted to maintain his pride and throw it back in his father’s face, a bigger part of him wanted to make it easier on himself to get back and forth from school and Tristan’s house. If his father was going to be an ass and his mother was going to stay oblivious, he was at least going to capitalize on it when and where he could. 

“I won’t be home for dinner,” he told them, not bothering to ask for permission before looking solely at his mother. “I’ll take Frankie and Hunter wherever they want after school. I will be at Tristan’s.” Miles then turned to his father, holding his steely gaze steadily. “ _Do not_ come there looking for me.”

His father nodded his head ever so slightly, but Miles could still detect the anger simmering beneath the surface. He hoped that his statement served as a warning. 

“Miles, we’re the parents here. I don’t think you get to tell us what to do,” his mother reminded him, her voice airy. It was that tone that kept her children from ever taking her seriously. They were just words, empty words without any real consequence.

“It’s fine, honey,” his father replied, waving his hand dismissively. “He just wants to enjoy his first day of automotive freedom with his boyfriend. Just be home by curfew, Miles.”

Miles did quick mental math and figured out that his parents would be at a fundraiser tonight. That meant that there would be alcohol, leaving his mother even more checked out than usual thanks to expensive wine and a higher chance that his father would get angry over nothing. As much as he wanted to stay with Tristan again, he couldn’t risk leaving the twins home unprotected.

“I will be here,” he said solemnly. “Winston is going to come over. We have a science project.”

It was another warning, this time directly to his father that there would be witnesses. 

“Just keep him out of Frankie’s room, honey.”

Miles rolled his eyes at his mother before grabbing the keys off the table and tossing them lightly in the air. “Yeah, sure, Mom, whatever,” he muttered before walking over to the bottom of the staircase. “Hunter, Frankenstein, let’s go! You’ve got two minutes to meet me at the car.”

“Have a good day, honey,” his mom said as she breezed out of the room, stopping to press a quick kiss to his cheek and leaving behind a cloud of expensive Chanel perfume.

“Tell them I’ll be in the car.”

“Son, wait —“ his father started, reaching out to grab Miles’ shoulder.

Miles recoiled back. “Do not touch me.”

“Miles, we need to talk about what happened.”

“No, you need to talk about what happened. I understand what happened quite well. So does Tristan,” he warned his father. He didn’t want to let on about his plan to talk to his mother tomorrow after her inevitable hangover had worn off. “I talked him out of reporting it this time, but if it happens again — or if you even think about yelling at or touching my brother or sister, I’ll…”

“You’ll what, Miles?” his father laughed menacingly. “You have no power here.”

“Try me, Dad.”

It was then that the twins came bounding down the stairs. “Whoa, what’s going on here?” Frankie asked. “Talk about bad energy.”

“Come on, we’re late,” Miles told his younger siblings.

“And you care about that why?” Hunter remarked smartly.

“Let’s just go.”

The twins rolled their eyes in perfect unison before stomping out of the front door toward Miles’ car in the driveway. 

“I’ll be taking the black one today.”

“I mean it, Miles.”

Miles looked up at his father with a patented Hollingsworth threatening grin. “So do I.” 

Several minutes later, Miles pulled the convertible to a screeching halt in the circle drive in front of Degrassi’s main entrance. Hunter and Frankie were out of the car quickly, off to find their friends in the huddled masses loitering outside the school. Miles readjusted his dark sunglasses as he strode up the sidewalk, his eyes instantly locking with Tristan’s behind the tinted shades. He looked adorable in his khaki trench coat, and Miles couldn’t help but noticing that the red tee beneath matched the jacket he himself was wearing.

“Whoa, hot wheels,” Zoe teased.

Miles smirked at her but never peeled his eyes away from Tristan. “My reward for passing my road test.”

Tristan shook his head minutely. It was clear that he knew what the car was for.

“Your dad bought you a car?”

It was only then that Miles noticed Maya. He ignored her because he honestly couldn’t deal with her judging tone right then. “He wants to have my boyfriend over for dinner this week.”

The statement was Miles’ way of privately affirming to Tristan that he was still all in on telling his mother what was happening. “That depends,” he answered, looking down at his nails. “Will a ride be provided in this car?”

“If that’s what it takes,” he avowed, his voice dropping to a certain sultry tone that had Zoe rolling her eyes and Maya screwing her face up in confused disgust. 

And then, he did what he had needed to do since he had started arguing with his father this morning; he stepped into Tristan’s arms and kissed him firmly. It was crazy how quickly peace washed over him. The two of them held their gaze for a long moment, Miles silently reassuring Tristan that he was okay and Tristan silently promising that he was still there. Tristan pulled back first, wrapping his arm around Miles’ waist as the other boy slid his right arm over Tristan’s shoulders. 

“Are you just gonna leave it there?” Tristan asked as they started toward the school. 

Miles shrugged cockily. “It’s fine.”

“Miles!” Maya called out. Tristan and Miles stopped at the same time, turning around to look at Miles’ ex-girlfriend and Tristan’s former best friend. Miles reached down to grab Tristan’s hand, interlocking their fingers together tightly. He felt Tristan’s squeeze back, just a gentle reminder that he was there with him. Maya was clearly waiting for them to separate so that she could talk to Miles solo, but when they didn’t, she had no choice but to press on. “What are you doing?”

Tristan exchanged an annoyed look with Zoe and then Miles. “Mind your own business, Maya.”

“Come on, Tris,” Miles replied. “Don’t want you to be late to first period.”

The two of them walked toward the school hand-in-hand, leaving Maya and Zoe behind.   
“You better stay out of their stuff, Matlin,” Zoe threatened. “You already hurt Tris once, I won’t watch you interfere with Miles’ life and do it again.”

“I just want to help him, Zoe.”

Zoe stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Tristan is my best friend and Miles might as well be one of them. I’m telling you nicely, stay away from both of them or you will have to deal with me.”

“But…”

“C’mon, Zo!” Miles hollered from the doorway.

“Yeah, come on, bestie!” Tristan echoed with his usual sunny laugh.

“I mean it, Matlin,” she said with a note of finality before turning to grin up at her friends. “Stay away from them.”

Zoe waited for another moment as she spotted Winston on his way up the sidewalk. She looped her arm through his as he passed, speaking to him in a low tone that Maya couldn’t hear. She was sure that they were talking about her, but neither of them bothered to look back her way as they joined their mutual best friends at the front entrance. Maya could only watch as the foursome disappeared into Degrassi, leaving her to figure out what was wrong with Miles and how she could help him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Select dialogue is from Episode 1402, "Wise Up."


	5. Chapter 5

Later that evening, after Miles had watched a movie with Tristan and shared a pizza with the Milligan family, he pulled the Mustang back into the driveway and scanned the other cars taking up residence in the many slots. Winston’s old Accord was in one of the guest spots, his father’s prized Bentley missing from its usual place. This meant that his parents were still at the dumb fundraiser, which bought him a few more hours of freedom. 

“Hey, Chuy, back off my sister,” he ordered as he came into the living room. Frankie grimaced at him from her place under Winston’s arm. He could detect some kind of emo music coming from the general direction of Hunter’s room. “Did you bring your stuff? We really need to get started on that project.”

“You can’t just come in and tell him what to do,” Frankie argued. “You had time with your boyfriend; I want time with mine.”

“You’ve had plenty of time,” Miles snapped back before looking over at Winston. While the guy might have been his best friend since Grade 2, he was also the guy who wanted to get into his sister’s pants and there were few things Miles found more important than protecting the twins. “I mean it, Winston, back off Frankie.”

“I hate you!” Frankie mumbled as Winston shifted away.

“He’s right, Franks, we really do need to get started on this project,” Winston told her carefully. “And since it’s likely the only time he’ll get my help all semester since he decided to partner up with Tristan, I want to make sure that he gets at least one decent grade.”

Miles rolled his eyes. “This again?”

“Look, just because you’ve told me that there is plenty of Miles to go around or whatever, it doesn’t mean that I’m not still pissed about being paired up with Zoe for the next 12 weeks,” Winston shot back. “Honestly, she hates me even more than she hates Maya.”

It was Frankie’s turn to roll her eyes. “Haven’t you heard? They came to some kind of truce after the storm or whatever.”

“Yeah, that’ll last,” Miles retorted. “Just wait until Zoe makes that inevitable move on Zig and Maya will get jealous all over again. I honestly don’t know what her deal is.”

“What do you mean?” Frankie asked.

“I don’t know, she’s been trying to get into my business or something,” he answered with a little shake of his head. “Even if I wasn’t so happy with Tris, I think I’d be glad to be done with her. I don’t know what’s up with her, but she’s definitely being weird.”

Frankie exchanged a look with her boyfriend, choosing to file that information away for later. She wasn’t sure what it was, but something about the whole situation wasn’t sitting quite right with her. “Alright, I’m going to go call Lola and give you some time to work,” she declared. She leaned over and gave Winston a long kiss. “Come up before you leave?”

“Sure thing,” he promised. He turned to watch her walk up the stairs, enjoying the view a little more than Miles would prefer. Winston didn’t even bother to look ashamed as he turned back to his best friend. “Alright, let’s get started.”

The two of them ended up at the dining room table, their books and papers spread across the dark wooden surface. Winston was patient as he explained the more difficult parts to Miles, a little less so during the frequent breaks when Miles stopped to reply to another one of Tristan’s texts.

“Seriously, dude, if you’d just focus, we could get this done in half the time.”

“Sorry,” Miles muttered without looking up. “Just one more minute…”

“It’s just like our bro date all over again.”

Miles heard the comment and finally pocketed his phone. “Sorry, you’re right,” he acknowledged. He looked down at his paper and then up at Winston. “Hey, want to stay over? You’ll have to stay in my room — no sneaking out to go see Frankie or my parents will banish you from the house — but we could finish this up and just hang out. I know I’ve been an absentee friend lately. We could stand a little quality bro time.”

Winston watched his friend fidget in his seat for a moment. “Why are you so nervous, man?”

“I’m not, I’m not,” he replied. “I just really want to hang out.”

The two of them had been best friends for nine years, so Winston could tell when Miles was lying. It was clear that he was doing it now; Winston just couldn’t figure out why. He just knew that if Miles was okay with him spending the night next door to his girlfriend, Miles’ baby sister, something was clearly going on. It seemed like he was more than nervous; it felt like Miles was scared.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

Miles avoided his eyes. Winston was clearly catching on. “Yeah, I’m fine, Winston.”

“Miles, you know that you can tell me anything.”

“Just stressed out, I guess,” he lied. “Between school and the campaign and Tris, I’ve had a lot going on.”

It was then that Winston figured everything out. “Your dad been on you again?”

“You know how he is.”

“Exactly,” Winston confirmed. He was likely the only person outside of the Hollingsworth family and household staff who had truly ever seen Miles’ dad lose his cool completely. And as generous as the guy had always been with Winston, he kind of hated the guy for how big of a dick he was to his best friend. “How bad has it been?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Everything’s fine,” Miles lied again. “Do you want to stay over or not? We can get Starbs on the way in. You know Tris loves his iced lattes in the morning.”

Winston decided to let it go for the moment. Miles never talked before he was ready. “Sure, dude, I’m in as long as you don’t call it that again.”

“Sorry, Tristan effect.”

“There seems to be a lot of those these days.”

Miles chuckled a little. “Well, you better get used to it. I don’t think he’s going anywhere for awhile.”

“You really like him, huh?”

Miles blushed in a way that Winston hadn’t seen in a long time, if ever. “Yeah, I do.”

Winston couldn’t help but smile. Admissions like that didn’t come easily from Miles Hollingsworth. “I’m happy for you, bro,” he told him. “I know last year wasn’t the easiest for you with Maya and Zoe. You deserve some good stuff.”

“Tris is good for me, Winston,” Miles confessed. “I’ve never really felt like someone truly got me like he does. He genuinely likes me for me and doesn’t seem to care about the other stuff.”

Winston nodded before they both kind of realized that the talk was a little deeper than they wanted. “Alright, how about we get through the rest of this and then I kick your ass at some Call of Duty?”

A few hours later, Miles and Winston were still playing video games when the Hollingsworth parents arrived back at the mansion. Miles could tell by her louder-than-usual tone that his mother was predictably drunk.

“Alright, honey, let’s get you to bed,” his father said in the hallway. “For God’s sake, Diana, get it together or you’ll wake the kids.”

“Sounds like Miles is still up,” she slurred.

“Of course he is. He’ll probably blow off school tomorrow too,” he muttered. 

Miles was embarrassed at his parents’ behavior but slightly comforted that it wasn’t anything that Winston hadn’t seen before. 

And right on cue, his father — clearly drunk enough in his own right — threw open the door. “Turn that shit off and get to bed. You have school in the morning.”

“Dad…”

“Now, Miles!”

Miles punched the button on his controller and turned off the TV. “It’s off.”

“I gave you two Mustangs, and this is how you repay me? By fucking up, yet again?”

Miles is confused at his supposed wrongdoings for once. “What are you talking about?”

“Just go to sleep, Miles, we’ll discuss this in the morning,” he barked back. “And you’d do your self a favor not to threaten me like you did today. Your mother and I had a little talk. We both agreed boarding school could be exactly what you need to help you get your priorities straight.”

And as loudly and uselessly as he had come in, he slammed the door on his way out, leaving Miles to explain to Winston the reason for his very angry wake.

“What was that?”

“What it always is,” Miles replied numbly. “Can you set your alarm for extra early? I want to get out of here before he wakes up. I don’t even know if he’ll remember in the morning, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

The two of them got ready for bed in silence. Winston pulled out his usual sleeping bag and paid of pillows from beneath the bed while Miles changed in the adjacent bathroom. Winston went into the bathroom when Miles came out. He finally pulled his phone from his pants and plugged it into his charger so that he could text his boyfriend.

_  
Miles: You up?_

_Tristan: Just barely…everything ok?_

_Miles: Drunk Dad strikes again._

_Tristan: R U safe? I can come over._

_Miles: Yeah, Chuy’s here._

_Tristan: Lock your door just in case, k?_

_Miles: I can hear him snoring. I’m okay for the night. Going 2 school early. Meet me?_

_Tristan: Will be there. Try to get some sleep. Call/text if U need me._

_Miles: Always need U._

_Tristan: Babe! I’m serious._

_Miles: I know, will do. Nite, Tris._

_Tristan: Night.  
_

Several hours later, before the sun had barely risen over the horizon, Miles and Tristan set off for Degrassi in Winston’s Accord. Miles couldn’t bear to drive the Mustang today. He needed to take back a little bit of his power and knew that driving it would give his father something to hold over his head. They made a quick pit stop at Starbucks as promised, Miles footing the entire bill and even volunteering to balance the carrier of drinks in his lap while Winston drove. The two of them had been quiet all morning. They were clearly avoiding the subject, but Winston knew that he needed to give his best friend a little more time before he pushed the issue.

He should have been surprised to see Tristan waiting for them on the front steps, but he figured Miles had been texting the blonde the night before when he was in the bathroom.

“Hey, boys, looking fresh this beautiful morning,” Tristan bubbled as the two of them came up to him. He happily took the offered latte, thanking his boyfriend with a soft kiss to his cheek. Miles closed his eyes and smiled for the briefest of moments. “You guys okay?”

“Yeah, you know,” Miles said vaguely.

“I’m going to give you guys a minute to talk. I need to review my history notes anyway.”

Miles and Tristan smiled at Winston. “Thanks for everything, dude,’ Miles told his best friend. “Seriously, I appreciate you being there last night.”

“Anytime,” he promised, bumping his fist against Miles’ and exchanging a knowing look with Tristan. “Later.”

“Later,” Tristan echoed. Once Winston had disappeared into the school, Tristan sat his coffee down by his backpack and turned to his boyfriend. He wrapped his arms around the brunette, trying to convey every ounce of safety and support he could muster in his body. “You want to talk about it?”

“No,” Miles admitted, “but I probably should.” Tristan reached up and brushed his fingers through the soft hair at the nape of Miles’ neck. “It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. He said that I fucked up again, though this time I honestly don’t know what I did. And apparently he’s talked my mom into sending me to boarding school, but drunk as they both were last night, I'm not sure what either of them will remember.”

“He can’t do that, can he?”

Miles shook his head. “Once he’s sober, he’ll realize that threatening me was a stupid move. He somehow thought the threat was a good idea when he was drunk. He has to know that I’ll talk if he tries to rip me away from my friends and away from you.”

“We really need to talk to your mom, Miles.”

“My dad is going out of town this afternoon on business. Come over for dinner and we’ll tell her together?”

“Just like that? It feels a little too easy, babe.”

Miles sighed heavily. “I’m tired of being scared in my own home, Tris. And I’m tired of worrying that he’s going to humiliate me in front of my best friend or in front of you.”

“That’s not possible, babe,” Tristan assured him. “You know that Winston and I both understand what’s going on. We’re not going to judge you for the sins of your father.”

‘You don’t know what it’s like, Tris.”

“Just remember that we’re always on your side, okay?”

“So you’ll be there with me?”

“There’s nothing in the world I’d rather do than keep you safe.”

“That’s why I’m doing this,” Miles murmured as he pressed his forehead to Tristan’s so that they were sharing the same breath. “To keep both of us safe. I won’t let him hurt you.”

Tristan looked at him strangely. “What do you mean, keep me safe?

“You don’t know what my father is capable of, Tris.”

It was the second time that Miles had said something like that, and it was the second time that Tristan was left confused.   
“Doesn’t matter, babe, we’re doing this.”

“Tonight?”

“Tonight,” Tristan affirmed. “Tonight, either your mom makes him leave, or I am getting you out of there.”


	6. Chapter 6

It was lunch before Winston was able to catch up with Tristan alone. He found him checking his reflection at his locker, not a hair out of place on his bleach-blonde head. 

“Hey, Tris.”

“Winston, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Everything Tristan said was just a little weird to Winston, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it. “Is something going on with Miles?”

Tristan purposely avoided his gaze, choosing instead to pretend that he was suddenly very interested in the invisible lint on this blazer. “Why would something be wrong with Miles?”

Winston exhaled heavily. “That’s what I was afraid of,” he muttered, mostly to himself. He had been in this place with his best friend before, had seen things and heard things that he had promised to never repeat. And yet, something about this time felt different. The stakes seemed bigger.

“What do you mean?”

“Stop with the questions, Tris,” Winston demanded quietly. He looked around to make sure that no one was listening in on their conversation. “Did Miles tell you what happened last night when I was over?”

“I don’t feel comfortable talking about Miles’ life when he’s not around.”

“I’ll take that as a yes then,” Winston said. “Look, I’ve been down the rabbit hole with Miles before on this, Tris, and let me tell you, it never ends well. I just need to know how bad it’s gotten so that I know how to be prepared. What’d he do this time?”

“Do you mean Miles?”

“No, you moron, I mean his dad,” Winston answered. “His dad is mean. He takes shit out on Miles when he doesn’t deserve it and no one really sticks up for him. And, like, I know that he thinks I haven’t been around as much because of Frankie or whatever, but I would never let him go through this alone.”

Tristan regarded him carefully for a moment. “He’s not alone.”

“And neither are you, not in this. But you have to tell me what is going on so that I know how I can help,” Winston pleaded. “Miles will eventually tell me what’s going on, that is if I don’t see it for myself first. I know that Frankie has a blind spot when it comes to her dad, but I am very aware of just how cruel Mr. Hollingsworth can be to Miles. He’s my best friend, Tris, you have to let me help.”

“Winston, I don’t think that’s up to me. You need to talk to Miles.”

Winston bit down on his bottom lip in frustration, his eyes locking with the blonde. “I will try, but if he doesn’t and it gets bad, you need to tell me what’s going on, Tristan. You can’t do this on your own. You don’t know how Miles gets when things get really bad.”

“And what is that supposed to mean? I think I know my boyfriend.”

“He isn’t himself when it gets really bad,” Winston revealed. “He can get really depressed and that’s when he crawls back into his bad habits. You know what went on last year with Maya. I get wanting to keep his secrets — trust me, I do — but it feels like something else happened and that it’s extra bad this time.”

Tristan raked his fingers through his hair. “If it were up to me, Winston, I would tell you because I think Miles needs as much support as he can get right now. But he asked me not to tell anyone and I need to keep that secret,” he explained. “I will try to talk to him. I might be able to convince him to talk to you, but you know as well as I do that it won’t be easy.”

“I appreciate you looking out for him, Tris. I know I have been a little weird about things between you guys, but I’m really glad that he has you.”

It’s then that Miles sauntered out of the cafeteria to find his best friend and his boyfriend huddled together in a hushed conversation. He immediately assumed the worst, but as he drew near, he could hear them talking about planning some kind of double date to surprise him and Frankie.

“Wanting to exact your revenge for when we kicked your ass at charades, Chuy?” Miles teased as he threw his arm around Tristan’s waist. He leaned over to kiss his boyfriend’s cheek quickly. “Hey, baby.”

“Ugh, gross, baby?”

“Like I haven’t heard all the cutesy nicknames you have for my little sister.”

“Can we not emphasize the ‘little’ every time you bring it up?”

“That’s enough, children,” Tristan laughed. “And for the record, I love it when you call me baby.”

“And with that, I better get to gym,” Winston announced. He reached out to bump his fist against Miles and then extended his hand to Tristan. The blonde was surprised but smiled brightly as he tapped his fist to Winston’s. “Catch you guys later.”

Miles’ face was pure sunshine when he turned to look at Tristan. “I like seeing you guys getting along,” he confessed to Tristan. “I like you as part of my little world.”

Later that afternoon, after Miles had made sure that Hunter was staying late at school for a computer project and his sister would be at cheer practice, the couple pulled into the Hollingsworth driveway. Tristan parked his car just behind Miles’ black Mustang and then looked over his shoulder at the spacious mansion looming behind him. “You ready to do this?”

“Not even a little bit.”

“Maybe it’s like a band-aid?”

“More like a tourniquet,” Miles grumbled as he climbed out of the car. He came around to open Tristan’s door. “Tell me one more time.”

“It’s going to be okay, Miles,” Tristan promised. “Your mom is going to listen. She is going to believe you.”

“And if she doesn’t?”  
“Then we will go back to my house and talk to my parents,” Tristan reminded him. “We will find a way to keep your dad away from you no matter what. You and me, together, we will get through this.”

Miles leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Tristan’s in what was becoming one of his signature moves when he needed comfort. “Together,” he repeated. “You and me, together.”

He repeated the words in his head like a mantra as he led Tristan into the quiet house. “Mom, are you here? I brought Tristan home,” he called as they dropped their bags in the foyer. They made their way through the sunken living room toward the kitchen, only to find his mother sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee in front of her and her head laying against the cool marble. “Mom, you okay?”

“Hmm?” She murmured before sitting up straight. “Oh, Miles, are you home already?” She reached up to straighten her hair, looking instantly put together in a matter of seconds. “It’s good to see you again, Tristan. Do you want to stay for dinner?”

“If you don’t mind, I’d really like that.”

“I think the chef prepared a few meals. How are we feeling about pasta?”

“We feel very good about pasta,” Tristan smiled. “In fact, I could actually heat that up for you so that you could have some time to rest. Miles, do you all have stuff for a quick salad?”

“I’m sure we could figure out something. I can run to the store if we need.”

“You boys don’t need to do that…”

“Mom, just let us,” Miles stopped her short. “You look like you could use a break.”

“Late night, you know…”

“It’s fine, Mrs. Hollingsworth, we got this,” he assured her before looking over at Miles.

“Actually, before the twins get home, I would like to talk to you.”

His mother looked at him tiredly. “Does it have to be now?”

“No, it’s fine, it can wait.”

“Actually, no, it can’t,” Tristan piped up. “You need to tell her.”

“Miles, what did you do this time?”

“Excuse me?”

Miles looked at the shocked look on Tristan’s face. “It’s fine, Tris, it’s what is to be expected.”

Tristan stood tall beside his boyfriend. “Absolutely not. How could you assume that your son has done something just because he wants to talk to you — his mother?”

Diana Hollingsworth looked adequately shamed. “I’m sorry, Miles. I shouldn’t have said that,” she apologized softly. “Why don’t you boys have a seat, tell me what’s going on?”

Miles took the stool next to his mother, pulling Tristan’s closer to him so that his knee would rest against the blonde’s. “Something happened the day I played golf with Dad.”

“Yes, you talked to the press. I already knew about that.”

“No, it happened afterward…here.”

“Miles…?”

He looked over at Tristan then, afraid to meet his mother’s gaze. “Dad came back here. He was so mad, starting laying into me like usual. I expected it, you know, when I ran out on him at the club. I was so angry at him for using me like that. I was already struggling with my identity enough. I didn’t need it to become a political ploy in his pursuit to become mayor.”

Tristan rested his hand on Miles knee comfortingly. Miles gathered a little bit of extra strength as he pressed on. “He was just yelling and yelling at me like he always does. I was trying to get by him. I just wanted to get to school — get to Tristan — so that I could feel okay again. And then he cornered me in the hall.”

Diana recoiled slightly, her son’s tone chilling her to the very bone. “What do you mean he cornered you, honey?”

“He got louder and louder. He wouldn’t let me by. I can’t remember what I said, but it must have made him angry because next thing I knew, he was throwing me into the wall,” he recollected. His eyes were empty. “He’d never done that before, not really.” He’s quiet for several moments then, seemingly lost in his thoughts. It is Tristan’s hand squeezing his knee that grounds him in reality again. “Anyway, he must have realized what he did because he started to apologize immediately. I just asked if I could go to school and that was the end of it. It’s why I stayed with Tris that night and probably why Dad showed up with the cars.”

Miles’ mom looked at him like he was a stranger. Somewhere in the depths of her mind, she knew that there was some truth to what he was saying. However, she also knew how her son could be. “You must have said something to provoke him.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?!?” Tristan cried. “Your son — your scared sixteen-year-old son — just told you that your husband, his father, is abusing him, and you are really going to victim blame? Are you fucking crazy?”

“Tris,” Miles exhaled.

“Stand up, Miles, show her your back,” he demanded. “Show her the terrible bruises from where he threw you into the wall next to that ugly painting in the hallway.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Miles told him sadly. “She doesn’t believe me. I was right. Of course she is going to blame me. That’s all anyone in this house does.”

“Miles, we can sit down tonight and talk this over as a family.”

“No, Mom.”

“You don’t get to tell me no.”

“Yeah, this time I do,” he replied. “It took a lot for me to tell you this because I knew, I just knew, that you would take his side. You always do, you know. Over your own son. I’ve never felt like anyone in this family was on my side. You’re supposed to be my mom. Why won’t you believe me?”

He’s crying then and that’s when Tristan decided that he’d had enough. “Miles isn’t staying here anymore. Not as long as Mr. Hollingsworth is here,” he announced. “You can argue with me all you want, but I want you to know that I have every intention of helping your son take this to the authorities. We will talk and talk and talk until someone listens. I will tell my parents, I will tell the school, I will tell the police. And if that doesn’t work, I will tell the media. I will personally find a team of volunteers to stand outside every single polling place in Toronto on election day to make sure that your pathetic excuse of a husband does not become mayor. And I will do all of this because you aren’t.”

“Tristan, I think you should leave.”

“Oh, trust me, we’re already gone,” he agreed aloud. He turned to a silent Miles, cupping his chin so that their eyes met. “You already have stuff at my house. Do you need to grab anything from here?”

“You’re not leaving here, Miles. You’re too young to know what you’re doing."

“Listen, lady, I won’t let you…”

“Tris,” Miles interrupted. “Mom, I am not staying here. If Dad leaves, I’ll come home. Until then, it’s not safe for me to be here. It hasn’t been for a very long time.”

“You can’t just decide…”

“Yes, I can,” he told her. “I can and I have. And I want you to know that I am going to tell Hunter and Frankie everything. They may believe me, they might not; I just need to know that I have told them the truth so that they can decide for themselves. And I want to make sure to warn them because God, I hope more than anything, they’re not next. But let me tell you this, if they are, if that man lays a finger on my little brother or my little sister, I will kill him. I will make sure that he does not take another breath on this earth. I will not put up with him hurting them.”

His threat caught even Tristan off guard. “Babe, we should get you out of here.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve said everything I needed to say here,” he decided. He stood up and grabbed Tristan’s hand. Miles then reached into his pocket and handed over his keys to his mother. “These are to the cars and to the house. I won’t be needing them.”

“Miles, honey, you can’t go. This is your home.”

Miles smiled at his mother. “You know, Mom, I don’t even blame you,” he told her. “I just feel sorry for you. Because one day, you’re going to wake up and realize what kind of man my father is, and you’re going to realize that you chose him over your son.” 

And with that, he led his boyfriend out of the house and into his newfound freedom.


	7. Chapter 7

Miles was visibly shaking by the time the young couple made it to the Milligan household. He was relieved to see that Tristan’s parents weren’t home yet. His boyfriend pulled his car into the driveway and turned off the ignition. Both of them took the moment to just be still. The only thing Miles could hear was Tristan’s steady breath.

“So, that was a lot.”

Miles chuckled uncomfortably at his boyfriend’s brazen declaration. “You could say that,” he allowed before reaching across the console for Tristan’s hand. He couldn’t bear to bring his eyes to meet Tristan’s quite yet, but he needed the blonde to know that he was present in the moment. “I want you to know that I appreciate what you did for me back there. No one has ever stood up for me like you just did. You’ve always believed that I am telling the truth, and I hope you know that means everything to me.”

Tristan brought Miles’ hand up to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss to his palm. “I promised you that I was going to be there, Miles. I know that it’s hard to trust anyone when they say those words, but I am hoping that this showed you that you can believe me,” he said. “And I want you to know that I’m not the only one who wants to be there for you. Winston came to me today. He’s worried about you.”

“You talked about me with Chuy?”

Tristan could hear the irritation in his boyfriend’s voice. He brushed his thumb over the top of his hand in what he hoped was a sign of comfort. “Not exactly. He wanted me to tell him what happened with your dad, but I told him that it had to come from you. He obviously knows some stuff from being there the other night, babe, so I think it’s fairly easy for him to draw his own natural conclusions.”

“Yeah, but thinking that you know and knowing that you know are two totally different things,” Miles tried to explain. “I know that Winston has my back. I’m just not ready to tell him about it yet. I have to get through telling your parents first, and I’m gonna be honest, that scares the fuck out me enough as it is.”

“I know, I know,” Tristan replied soothingly. “Just know that when you are ready, Winston is going to be there for you. He’s going to be on your side. And I really think that if you tell him not take something to your sister, he is going to keep your secret. He’s your best friend. If I thought for even a second that he was going to betray you, I would tell you upfront because I am not willing to risk your well-being whatsoever.”

Miles nodded silently. He knew that Tristan was probably right, and if nothing else, his heart was in the right place. “Okay, I’ll think about it, I promise. I’d just really like to go upstairs to your room and lay down for awhile, just hold you in my arms and forget about anything and anyone that isn’t you and me.”

“Oh, I am pretty sure that can be arranged.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Tristan murmured before leaning over to kiss his boyfriend more fully. He smiled against Miles’ mouth as he pulled back. “C’mon.”

Miles followed Tristan into his cozy home and up the stairs. He was instantly at home once again as he collapsed onto the plush mattress. He really appreciated his boyfriend’s refined taste in the moment. “You gonna come here and snuggle me?”  
Tristan couldn’t help but grin in delight. “Has Miles Hollingsworth become a cuddler?”

“Cute.”

Tristan took off his shoes and then his watch. He glanced at himself in the mirror, raising one eyebrow and then the other. “I think so.”

“Come here.”

Miles opened his arms as Tristan slid onto the mattress and beneath the sheets. “It’s been a long day, huh?” Tristan asked softly. Miles didn’t really answer, just sort of hummed his agreement against Tristan’s neck. “Well, this is certainly a nice way to end it. I like being here with you like this, makes me feel closer to you.”

“Yeah, me too,” Miles confessed. “I want you to know that no matter what happens, you make me really happy. I’ve never felt like this about anyone. It’s been so long that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to feel safe. But with you, I can let my guard down a little. You’re not scared of my life.”

“Babe, you were straight when I kissed you the first time. Nothing scarier than that.”

Miles trailed his fingers through the soft hairs at the nape of Tristan’s neck. “And yet, here we are. You knew all the bad stuff, not just with my dad but how I was with Maya. You out of anyone on this planet knew all my demons. You saw how fucked up I was when I was with her, with Zoe. I don’t know how I got you to stay.”

“Because of this right here,” Tristan revealed as he turned around in MIles’ arms. He pressed his palm to Miles’ heart. Even when you don’t want to show it to me, I see it — I feel it. I know that there is going to come a time some day soon where you want to shut me out again. I won’t pretend that it doesn’t hurt like hell. But then I remember this and I trust that you’ll eventually let me back in. Because this thing here, this heart of yours, it’s pretty great and I feel damn lucky that I’m the one who gets to hold it.”

“You do, you know, have my heart.”

“I know.”

And then there were no words. There was only emotion and trust and a certain kind of undefined love that happens before a really epic romance. Miles leaned forward and lost himself in kissing Tristan. He forgot about his father’s anger, his best friend’s disappointment, his mother’s delusions, his siblings’ judgement. There was only Tristan and him and this. 

Miles rolled Tristan over onto his back so that he could continue to control the pace. Tristan’s legs fell open so that Miles could find his place against his boyfriend’s body. Electricity sparked between them wherever they touched. The kissing went on for several minutes before Tristan finally pushed his chest carefully back.

“Slow down, I need to breathe.”

Miles wiped carefully at his mouth before leaning back on his heels. “Sorry, sorry, it’s just hard.”

“Oh, I know it is,” Tristan teased.

“Stop,” Miles remarked with a roll of his eyes. “Okay, so what should we do until your parents get home?”  
“We could talk about our history project.”

“Yes, our history project, much better than making out with your very hot boyfriend.”

“Hmm, I agree,” Tristan said, sticking out his tongue. “I was thinking that we could do a fashion theme. You know, a uniforms through the ages kind of thing.”

Miles honestly didn’t care what their project was about, so he was pretty much on board with anything that made his boyfriend happy. “Whatever you want, baby.”

“Keep saying things like that and you’ll end up getting whatever you want,’” Tristan revealed. “After all, I just have this hunch that you’d look crazy sexy in a uniform.”

“Happy to see you taking your education so seriously,” Miles murmured before leaning over to start kissing Tristan again. 

Tristan pressed his palm to Mile’s cheek and lost himself enough that he didn’t hear his mother’s footsteps. “Boys,” she announced with a wide smile. It had been awhile since she had caught her youngest son with a boy. It had been even longer since he had looked this happy. “Miles, honey, I didn’t see your car downstairs. Are you staying for dinner?”

“If you don’t mind?”

“The more the merrier,” she said. “I’m still not used to cooking for just three. I never realized how much Owen ate until it was just us.”

“Well, I’m happy to enjoy your cooking talents in his place if you’ll have me.”

“Of course,” she said. “Tristan, did you fold that laundry like I asked you?”

Miles looked at his boyfriend guiltily. “I forgot,” Tristan admitted. 

“Please don’t be angry with him,” Miles pled. “It’s my fault!”

Tristan’s mother looked as him in confusion. “It’s no big deal, honey. Tris, can you just run down and take care of it? Then you boys can set the table.”

“Sure thing,” Tristan replied. He paused in his doorway to hug his mother warmly. “I really am sorry that I forgot. Some stuff came up.”

“Like making out with your boyfriend?”

“Well, yeah, there was that too,” he blushed. He looked over at Miles, who was still sitting on the bed and gazing back at the Milligan duo in wander. Tristan knew how this conversation would likely go in the Hollingsworth household. “There are some things we’d actually like to talk to you about over dinner. Will Dad be home?”

His mother nodded her head in the affirmative. “He should be here. Tris, honey, is everything okay?”

Tristan hugged his mom again. “I’m fine, Mom, I promise,” he reassured her. “There’s just something we need your help with, and I think it’d be easier to tell you and Dad both at the same time so that we don’t have to tell the story twice.”

Once Tristan’s mom had disappeared toward the master bedroom to change her clothes, Tristan returned to Miles’ side. He framed his boyfriend’s face with his hands. “You okay?”

“You messed up and your mom didn’t get angry at you. She didn’t yell at you or threaten you or anything. She just smiled at you.”

“Yeah. Look, don’t get me wrong, they get mad sometimes when I really mess up. We’re not perfect either.”

Miles exhaled heavily. “I know. What do you say you show me how to fold this laundry that you speak of.”

Tristan rolled his eyes. “You’ve never done laundry, have you?”

“Baby, I barely ever have to put it away.”

“C’mon, Hollingsworth,” Tristan said, reaching out to help the brunette to his feet. “Afterwards, I’ll show you the exciting world of setting a table. I bet we get to round out our night with the dishes.”

“And then?”

‘And then we tell my parents and figure out what’s next.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple lines of dialogue were borrowed from Episode 14x7 "I'll Be Missing You."


	8. Chapter 8

After Tristan’s dad had come home, after they had sat around the small little table to enjoy an easy pasta dinner, after the dishes had been washed, after the evening coffee had been put on and the pie laid out for dessert, Miles found himself staring at two people he didn’t really know all that well, prepared to tell them his entire life story. For someone who had been raised to keep any and all secrets carefully guarded less the media find out, it was impossible to think that he was about to reveal the biggest hidden gem of them all. But as he looked to his left and saw his boyfriend smiling reassuringly at him, he had a certain kind of confidence that he never could have predicted. 

“It had started when I was like six,” Miles began. “There was some kind of fundraiser for a board that my mom sat on, a foundation for a health cause that she probably couldn’t have even told you at the time. I was a kid, you know, but I was expected to behave like a perfect little adult. You know the old adage, ‘Kids should be seen and not heard?’ Well, that’s pretty much how my parents still operate.”

“Anyway, there was this other kid there. We found out later that one of the wait staff had brought their son because their babysitter cancelled last minute. I somehow managed to sneak away from my parents and the nanny they’d hired to lurk in the background, and we started paying this elaborate game of hide-and-seek There were plants and tables and people everywhere. It was the most fun I’d had in weeks.”

“i don’t remember what happened next exactly, but at some point, the kid tripped, pulled on a tablecloth to catch his fall and yanked a table full of crystal champagne glasses to the ground. Have you ever heard 250 people go completely silent? It’s deafening.”

Tristan reached over and squeezed Miles’ hand supportively. It was a story even he hadn’t heard. 

“The nanny got fired on the spot. My dad was well into a bottle of scotch by then. I can remember him so clearly screaming at my mom in front of the rest of the planning committee, and when was done with that, he turned his attention on me. He said these things, these nasty vile words that you should never say to anyone, let alone your own six-year-old. And my mom just stood there and let him do it.”

“That pretty set the tone for how he’s talked to me for the last decade. It’s only gotten worse as time went on. He has gotten much more creative with his insults, his threats. But as long as they were only words, I figured I could deal with it. It kept his focus off the twins,” Miles tried to explain. “And then, this week happened.”

Tristan’s mom reached across the table and rested her hand on his wrist. “Go on, honey.”

“I won’t bore you with all the details, but I told some reporter lady some thing I shouldn’t and then ran off when more press showed up on what was supposed to be a father-son day of golf. My dad hadn’t even been drinking. It was so easy for him to do it. How do you do that to your own kid?”

It was Tristan’s dad’s turn to reach out. He rested his closed fist on the brunette’s shoulder. “I need you tell us what happened, son.” 

Miles could hear the anger simmering in his tone, but he wasn’t afraid that it was directed at him for once. He almost felt comforted by how protective he sounded. “We were yelling at each other in the hallway. I was trying to get by so I could go to school. I knew that we were just going to fight if I didn’t get out of there. I was going to go to Degrassi and see Tristan. And then my dad snapped.”

“Did you father hurt you, Miles?” 

He looked up at Tristan’s father and nodded silently. “He pushed me into the wall.”

Tristan’s mother covered her mouth. “Are you okay? Do we need to take you to the hospital to get checked out?”

“It just bruised,” Tristan answered for him. He looked at Miles for permission to continue. “We talked to his mom today. And if you can guess from the rest of the story and the fact that we’re here, she didn’t exactly respond like you’d want. Mom, Dad, you guys have always been there for Owen and me, and now, I am asking you to be there for Miles. We can’t let him go back to that house. His dad came home drunk and…”

“Tris!”

Tristan looked at Miles. “Babe, you’ve come this far. You have to stop protecting him — stop protecting both of them.”

“Okay, boys, I think we can draw our own conclusions,” his father interrupted. “Miles, you will stay in Owen’s room tonight. In the morning, we will go down to the school and talk to the principal about what comes next. He should know who we need to talk to make sure that you are protected. Now, does your mother know that you’re here?”

“I made it clear that they were not to come here.”

Miles’ mother nodded slightly. “Alright, why don’t you two go upstairs so that we can talk? I know that you have a history project that you should be working on,” she instructed. “And I will tell you both this now. We are trusting you to be responsible and sleep in separate rooms.”

“Mom!”

“Of course, Mrs. Milligan,” Miles agreed politely. He wasn’t about to press his luck. “And I will give you all money. My dad isn’t on my trust account, so I should have access to my monthly allowance as long as he doesn’t get to my mom.”

“Miles, that is certainly not necessary,” Mr. Milligan announced. “It may not be what you’re used to, but we do just fine here. We don’t need your money to provide a safe house and some warm meals.” The brunette blushed. “And before you start apologizing, please don’t mistake this for anger. I just want you to know that you’re safe here. We don’t need or expect anything from you in return. You matter to our son, which means you matter to us too. You have a place here any time you need one.”  
With that, Tristan stood up from the table and nodded toward the stairs. “You go on up, I’ll catch up with you in a second.”

Miles went part way up the stairs, just out of sight. “Thank you for doing this,” Tristan said softly. “I have always known I was lucky, but you guys really are the best parents I could ask for.”

“Anytime, Tris,” his father said. “We love you.”

“Love you guys, too.”

Miles jogged the rest of the way up the stairs so as to not get caught. He was sitting on the edge of Tristan’s bed when he came into his room. 

“You okay?”

“No,” Miles admitted, “but I think I might be getting there.”


End file.
